Sanctions-Based Drug Demand Reduction Program
412-644-3500
The United States Attorney's Office, in conjunction
with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Pittsburgh
Police, have initiated a drug demand reduction program
aimed at ridding neighborhoods of houses and other
buildings used for the distribution and/or consumption
of illegal drugs. These "drug houses," which
are typically well known in the neighborhood, are
often owned by absentee landlords and leased to tenants
for very low rent. Initially, the program focused
on a working class neighborhood known as Lawrenceville,
where 16 drug houses have been identified. The program
is presently expanding to other city neighborhoods
including the Hill District, Garfield, and North Side.
The program uses a series of escalating steps. First,
the property owners are sent letters notifying the
owners that their properties are being used for illegal
drug activity and inviting them to a meeting at the
United States Attorney's Office. At the meeting, the
property owners are informed of their remedies, such
as enforcement of lease clauses that prohibit drug
activity. If these steps are unsuccessful, the United
States Attorney's Office will seek more severe sanctions,
such as civil forfeiture of the properties, and even
criminal prosecution of the owners in appropriate
cases for managing or controlling any place for the
purpose of illegal drug activity.
Since the program was announced in April 2004, more than 120 landlords, owners, tenants and mortgagers have been informed of the criminal activity occurring at their properties, and many of the properties are being rehabilitated. One individual has been successfully prosecuted for knowingly maintaining his residence for the use and distribution of controlled substances. The defendant was sentenced to 30 months in prison. The property was sold to a neighborhood improvement organization, which built a new single-family home in its place.